Szavay stays hot; Dulgheru pulls out in Prague

Tennis Betting Lines

07/15/2010 - Prague, Czech Republic (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Last week's Budapest titlist Agnes Szavay was among Thursday's second-round winners, while second-seeded Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania pulled out of the draw at the $220,000 Prague Open tennis event.

The seventh-seeded Szavay handled long-time Czech crowd favorite Iveta Benesova 6-1, 7-5 on the red clay at Stvanice. The Hungarian Szavay piled up six service breaks in the 1-hour, 12-minute affair.

Szavay bested Swiss veteran Patty Schnyder in last week's Budapest finale for the second time in two years.

The 31-year-old Schnyder also won in Prague on Thursday by pasting France's Alize Cornet 6-2, 6-1.

Dulgheru, meanwhile, pulled out of her scheduled second-rounder against Slovenian Polona Hercog, citing some sore knees. Top-seeded Czech favorite Lucie Safarova pulled out of the draw here on Wednesday because of a hamstring problem.

In other second-round action on Day 4, fifth-seeded Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues whipped Colombian qualifier Catalina Castano 6-4, 6-2 and Czech Lucie Hradecka landed in the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 6-2 dismantling of Romanian Monica Niculescu.

Friday's quarters will pit Medina Garrigues, the highest seed still standing here, against Hradecka, Szavay versus Hercog, eighth-seeded Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova against Swede Johanna Larsson, and Schnyder versus Georgian Anna Tatishvili.

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2007 NFL Football Betting Preview


“You play to win the game!”

Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.

The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.

The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.

Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?

Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.

New York Giants betting lines

Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.

Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.

Dallas Cowboys betting lines

Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.

The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.

Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.

Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.

Oakland Raiders betting lines

This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.

First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”

The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason. 

Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.

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